Caster



I My 19, 192 ,v

Original Filed Dec. 1921 M. E. RO

INVENTOR aof fa WM- W W ATTORNEY.

MAYO E. ROE, OE ELYRIA,

Patented July 19, 1927.

FFICE.

OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE COLSON COMPANY, OF ELYRIA,

OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO;

cns'rnn.

Original application filed December 16, 1921, Serial No.522,827. Divided and this application illed March' a, 1926. Serial No. 93,052.

Y fork independent of movement of the stem.

Another object of my invention is to provide a caster wherein undue wear of the parts is eliminated and which will be very durable.

Another object of my invention is to provide a castercomprising means for adjusting' the bearings to accomplish the swivelling action with aminimum of friction and at thesame time maintain the parts in proper alignment. I i

Another object-ofmy invention is: to provide a caster construction wherein the bearv near the horiing will be placed relatively zontalplane of the caster W eel axle so that lateral strains upon the bearings will be minimized.

Afurther object 'is to provide such a forked construction whereby the stem may be :made of various diameters or'lengths, the construction permitting of easy changing from one sized stem to anotherwhenever this isudesired." 1 i Another objectof my invention is to pro vide-in acaster of the type 'above defined, a structure which maybe assembled together from sheet metal stampings and in which the ballraces will be capable of being assem bled as 'aunit-with the: yoke of the caster fork and which will permit ready assembling with any desired'type'of casterfstem.

Another object of my invention is re secure the aforesaid objects in acaster which is "simple ofconstruction, inexpensive to make and assemble a'ndwhich will remain inefficient operatingcondition in use, at the same timev providing for a minimum of fric-' tion between the wearing parts, and forready access to the various operating parts as-for repair or adjustment; the caster'at the same'time being 'capableof a wide and extensive use on various types of apparatus. The aforesaid and other objects 'of'myin? vention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, and description"thereofjwhich relate to a'specific drawings embodiment of this invention for the purpose of explainingthe same and of which Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of my improved caster, with a portion of the wheelv cut away and the anti-friction means illustrated in section;

Fig. 2 shows an end elevation, with a portiogii of the wheel and its bearing in section; an

- Fig. 3 shows a top plan view of the upper portion of the caster fork.

:Referring now to all of the figures in all of whichlike parts are indicated by like reference characters, at 128 is shown a fork stem which is reduced at 29 anolagain reduced at 28, the portions 29 and 28 being inserted into a ball bearing mechanism assemblyof elements, the more reduced portion 28 being treated so as to provide a means of clamping the stem member 128 to the ball bearing mechanism, and which ball bearingmechanism carried the transverse fork supporting-members 23 and 2 1 from which members depend the side prong members 25 and 26.

Carried between the prong members 25 and 26' is the caster wheel 27, said caster Wheel being mounted on the axle 30 Which passes throughthe prongs 25 and 26, and which is clampedthereto'byclamping nuts 118. Lock washers 112 are placed between the under side offthe clamping nuts and the outer sides of prongs 25 and 26. Placed immediately 'on the axle 30 is a tubular sleeve bushing 129-, and cast iron hub 31 being carried on the sleeve bushing. The bushing, 129, takes therotating Wear of the load, and can be renewed and serves as a spacer toprevent side friction between hub 31 and forksides 25 and 26. This bushing, 129, is preferably, made of bearing metal such as brass or bronze. The cast iron hub 31 has endperiphcral portions inclined inwardly as at 32, there being intermediate.

portions such as 33 however, which are less inclined or not inclined at all whereby'an irregular periphery is provided at this point,

these irregularities being provided for the purpose of preventing relative rotation of the castiron hub 31 andthe steel disc members A hole 56 in the hub 31 and the disc member 35 is provided to admit lubricating oil to the bearing 129.

The peripheral portions of the dlscs 34 and 35 flare outwardly and upwardly curvilinearly, the peripheral portions of the two discs being adapted to embrace the lower portions of a rubber tire 39 and form a seat therefor, the tire being removable whenever the two discs are disassociated by removing the nuts 37 and the bolts 36.

The cast iron hub 31 has an intermediate recessed portion, 40, thus providing a space between the portions of the disc members 34 and 35 next adjacent thereto so that a certain amount of fiexibility may be had due to the inherent flexibility of the disc member portions.

The transverse fork supportin members 23 and 24 have centrally disposer: openings, the members 23 and 24 being pressed upwardly and downwardly respectively, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the transverse member 23 has a circular upstanding ring portion, 41, and the member 24 has aidepending like ring portion, 42, these portions 41 and 42 providing a cylindrical opening within which the annular bearing members 133, and annular bearing cone members 127 and 138are supported. The member 138 is seated on the shoulder 43 of the stem 128, and fits tightly onto the portion 29 thereof, and the cone member 127 is screw threaded on the threaded end 28 of the said stem. A clamping nut 122 is-provided and adapted to be threaded on'the outer end of the portion 28 of the stem in order to retain the cone member 127 in any desired set position.

The race members 133 have flanged peripheral portions adapted to fit over the outer edges of the members 41 and 42, and when the cone 127 and set nut 122 are in position, the entire bearing forms a connecting link between the stem 128 and the transverse fork prong supporting members 23 and 24 in such a way that the wheel 27 is rotatably carried between the fork prongs 25 and 26, and the wheel and fork prongs together with the transverse members 23 and 24 are adapted to rotate in a horizontal plane on the said bearings.

The embodiment of my caster as heretofore described can readily swivel in use, by virtue of the reduced parts 28 and 29 of the stem 128 being anti-frictionally mounted to rotate in the opposed ball bearing races heretofore described. The ball bearing races being supported in the transverse supporting members 23 and 24 midway thereof and the depending prongs 25 and 26 being curved outwardly, the axle 30 for supporting the wheel 27 is off set with respect to the axis of the stem 128 and likewise the center of the wheel 27 is off-set and accordingly will produce the desired swivellingof the caster.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the caster will accomplish the swiveling action with a minimum friction without permitting the parts to become out of proper alignment. l

The caster may be employed, without dcparting from the invention, for either heavy or. light duty on various types of, and kinds of furniture, by constructing the caster of materials of a strength proportionate to the use to which my caster 15 applied.

This application is divisional of my application, Serial No. 522,827, filed December 16, 1921.

Having thus described my invention in a specific embodiment, I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made from the embodiment herein illustrated and described but without departing from the spirit ofmy invention. a

- What I claim is: 1

. 1. In a ball bearing caster, the combination witha caster fork having a horizontally disposed centrally perforated sheetflmetal yoke, of a pair of oppositely disposed sheet metal centrally perforated bearing cups rigidly mounted on the yoke co-axially'with the perforation thereof and rigidly carried thereby, a caster stem, a pair of spaced opposed bearing cones carried by and securedto the stem, a portion of each bearing cone telescoped within one of the cups, bearing balls interposed between the telescoped end of each cone and the inner surfaces of the end and side walls ofthe enclosing cup, and securing means disposed between the arms of the fork to secure the conesonthest'em toprovide an anti frictional bearing for the caster on the stem, the caster stem projecting by a reduced portion entirely through the aligned perfora tions ofthe yoke and cups.

2. In a ball bearing swivel caster, the combination with a substantially U-shaped sheet metalca'ster fork having a centrally perforated horizontally disposed yore having a pair'of prong portions depending from 0pposite ends thereof, of a caster stern projected downwardly through said perforation, a pair of oppositely disposed bearing cones carried on the downwardly projecting end of the stem, one on each side of theyoke, bearingmeans comprising a pair of oppositely disposed centrally perforated bearing cups each having portionstelescoped within the yoke perforation and having rim flanges projecting without the yoke perforation, one of said bearing cups having a bearing race surface onan upwardly disposedinnersurface;the other cup having a. bearingrace surface on a downwardly disposed inner surface,"sai'd cones having opposed inner faces and bearing race surfaces formed thereon, twosets of bearing balls, one of said sets being disposed in the race formed by the opposed race surfaces ofthe upper cone and the upper cup, the other set disposed in the cup formed by the race surfaces of the lower cup, and axially adjustable securing means disposed on the end of the stem projected through the perforation disposed between the arms of the fork, adapted to continuously press the cups into proper adjusted relation to the yoke by their rim flange ortions.

3. In a ball bearing caster, the combination with a caster fork comprising an inter- Inediate perforated yoke and a caster securing element having a reduced end telescopable through the yoke perforation, of a pair of oppositely disposed bearingcups rigidly secured to the yoke and having openings therethrough coaxial with the yoke perforation, said bearing cups and yoke being formed entirely of sheet metal, a pair of cones having opposed bearing race surfaces carried by and secured to the caster securing element, one of each said cones having its bearing race surface disposed within a different one of the said cups, bearing balls interposed between the. adjoining side and end wall inner surfaces of the cups and the cone race surfaces, and means disposed between the arms of the fork to secure one of the cones upon the reduced end of the caster securing element in adjusted relation to its cup race surface, comprising a securing nut screw-threaded on to the reduced end of the caster securing element, said securing having a shoulder engaging an outer surface of the other of the bearing cones.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 17th day of February, 1926.

MAYO E. ROE.

Certificate of Correction.

- Patent- No. 1,636,326. v Granted July 19, 1927, to

MAYO E. ROE.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the abovenumbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 32, claim 3, after the Word securing, second occurrence, insert the Word element; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of August, A. D. 1927.

[smn] M. J. MOORE,

Acting Uowwndssz'omer of Patents. 

